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A couple of years ago François Stahl could never have imagined what would emerge from a handful of cacao beans and a family tradition. Today, he sits in a coffee shop in the Swiss town of Wallisellen, and talks with enthusiasm about a new project in Madagascar and his trip to this island next year. But first things first. It all began ten years ago, following a family tradition; François Stahl and his wife planted around a dozen cacao beans in honour of their daughter's birth. Shortly afterwards, the couple donated the plants to the Masoala Rainforest of the Zurich Zoo. Within a few years, they flourished to magnificent cacao trees, bore fruits and were harvested. But what do you do with Swiss cacao fruits? The chocolate expert François Stahl did not think twice: chocolate! But not any kind of chocolate - no, the first pure Swiss chocolate with all ingredients originating from this country. The chocolate made headlines, was sold, and the proceeds were used for a good cause. Four years later, François Stahl reports on the project that was initiated with the proceeds, a project which goes far beyond the production of Swiss chocolate.
'''Quality training for farmers''''
The proceeds from the [[Sélection Masoala|"Sélection Masoala"]] - a total of 30,000 Swiss Francs - were used to build an archetype cacao plantation and a fermentation centre on the Peninsula of Masoala in Madagascar. The curator of the Zurich Zoo, Martin Bauert, developed the business plan of the project and now coordinates the enterprise. The team Bauert - Stahl found support in the Swiss Embassy in Madagascar, and in the "Friends of Masoala" Association, the Zurich Zoo and the Wildlife Conservation Society.